Sakurai, Nara

Sakurai (桜井市, Sakurai-shi) is a city located in Nara Prefecture, Japan. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 58,386, and 24,629 households. The population density is 590 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,500/sq mi), and the total area is 98.92 square kilometres (38.19 sq mi).

History

Sakurai was briefly the capital of Japan during the reign of Emperor Yūryaku. The life of the Imperial court was centered at Hatsuse no Asakura Palace where the emperor lived in 457–479. Other emperors also built palaces in the area, including

• Iware no Mikakuri Palace, 480–484 in reign of Emperor Seinei
• Nimiki Palace, 499–506 in reign of Emperor Buretsu
• Iware no Tamaho Palace, 526–532 in reign of Emperor Keitai
• Hinokuma no Iorino Palace, 535-539 in reign of Emperor Senka
• Osata no Sakitama Palace or Osada no Miya, 572–585 in reign of Emperor Bidatsu

The modern city was founded on September 1, 1956.

Sakurai is home to Ōmiwa Shrine, traditionally considered one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan dedicated to the god of sake. Sake dealers across Japan often hang a wooden sugi ball, made at Ōmiwa Shrine, as a talisman to the god of sake. It was featured in Yukio Mishima's novel Runaway Horses.

Famous places

• Buddhist temples
  • Miwasanbyōdō-ji
  • Hase-dera
  • Asuka-dera
  • Tachibana-dera
  • Abe Monju-in
  • Seirin-ji
• Shinto shrines
  • Ōmiwa Shrine
  • Tanzan Shrine
  • Kasayamakō Shrine
  • Tamatsura Shrine

Transportation

Rail

• West Japan Railway Company
  • Sakurai Line (Man-yō Mahoroba Line): Makimuku Station - Miwa Station - Sakurai Station
• Kintetsu Railway
  • Osaka Line: Daifuku Station - Sakurai Station - Yamato-Asakura Station - Hasedera Station

Road

• Japan National Route 165
• Japan National Route 166
• Japan National Route 169

Sister cities

In Japan

• Kumano, Mie
• Taisha, Shimane

Outside Japan

• Chartres, France.

References

External links

Media related to Sakurai, Nara at Wikimedia Commons

• Sakurai City official website (in Japanese) at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 2002-09-14)
• Sakurai City official website (in English)
• Geographic data related to Sakurai, Nara at OpenStreetMap